ASSOCIATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS COLONIZATION IN PARTURIENT MOTHERS AND THEIR BABIES

Abstract

We recruited a total of 499 mothers and their 501 newborn babies to investigate whether infants acquire Staphylococcus aureus from their mothers. Of the 22 mother-baby paired S. aureus isolates, 11 (50%) paired isolates were unrelated, 1 pair related, and 10 pairs (45%) indistinguishable. Newborn babies acquire S. aureus colonization soon after birth either from the environment or their mothers.